


Close Calls and Hot Chocolate

by Cedar_Crashes_The_Party



Category: Layton Kyouju Series | Professor Layton Series
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Near Death Experiences
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-01-07 13:25:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18411557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cedar_Crashes_The_Party/pseuds/Cedar_Crashes_The_Party
Summary: A couple close calls with the infamous Don Paolo leaves Luke shaken- and Luke Triton is too much of a gentleman to cry into someones shoulder... Right?





	1. Don Paolo Kinda Sucks

It's the small shuddering of the tower that alarms Hershel at first- but at first glance, nothing seems wrong. It’s not until the seven-story pillar of puzzles starts tilting that he realizes that he needs to come up with a plan- and fast.

Their newest mystery had been of a cursed pen that was rumoured to attract creatures of all sorts when written with (which in reality had just been a normal pen with bat hormones in the ink, attracting the leathery old rodents), and it dragged Hershel, Luke, and Flora to the top of a seven-flight tower on the outskirts of a small town named Jostwen. Turning back to the matter at hand, though, Hershel was looking desperately around the room in search for something to escape with.

A couple of seconds pass in panic before a plan presents itself clear as day- there were ropes lacing the ceiling, holding long dead hanging plants that had been abandoned with the tower. Swinging a desk chair out from under a table, Hershel stepped on the chair and then up to the table. Reaching out, he managed to wrap two fingers around the rim of one of the stone baskets, pulling it down to tug on the light chains connecting it and the ropes. Just as he managed to grapple a length of rope and pull with all his might he realized the consequences- all of the other hanging plant would have to go down as well. With a frightened glance over his shoulder, he watched- as if in slow motion- one of the plants narrowly avoid Flora, but-

"Profe-" a broken cry interrupts Luke, tearing past his throat as a basket, hitting his back and knocking him over, lands on the upper part of his legs, tearing through the flooring. It's only Flora's quick thinking that saves him, grabbing Luke by the wrist and pulling him up. A feeble shout is pulled from him as she picks Luke up in a bridal carry, legs limp and mangled. It's then that Hershel notices the twisted foot that Luke displays, and the slowly growing patch of red spreading across the left knee of Luke's trousers.

"Professor!" Flora screams, stepping away from the growing hole in the floor. the ropes had been poorly secured enough that one last tug brought the rest of it into Hershel's arms, and with that he hopped off the table and looped the rope through three of the pots that hadn't pulled through the floor- yet. and that was what he was counting on.

"Come now," Layton yelled over the crumbling of the tower. "Give Luke to me and grab the rope!"  
With a shaky nod, Flora scrambled into action- gently sliding Luke into the Professor's arms and kneeling to grab a length of rope. An explosion went off at the bottom of the tower, swinging it even further. Finally, the last of the pots sunk through the floor- which, at this point, was nearly diagonal- and Layton ushered Flora to the far window at the top of the slant.  
Layton scowled as the maniacal laughter of Don Paolo drifted in through the now crumbling ceiling. As Paolo brought his newly renovated flying machine around, he dropped another self-detonating bomb near the bottom of the tower. Flora, who had guessed the plan as best as she could, scrambled out the window with her end of the rope.

"Pass him to me, Professor!" She called, reaching her arms out. Hershel rushed to jostle Luke into position- they didn't have much time. Luke gazed at Layton through unfocused eyes as Hershel passed him to Flora- and for a moment, they seemed terrified. for a moment, Luke's face screwed up and his eyes watered and he looked afraid. He half mouthed something unintelligible- and he clawed to get ahold of Flora. But then that moment passed, and Luke lolled into unconsciousness.

Flora, yanking Luke through the window, pulled Hershel out of his thoughts. with a determined grimace, Layton tugged himself over the window's edge while snagging some rope of his own.

"Now, pass him back- we're going to go down the rope. Be careful, and mind your skirt," Hershel said, hurriedly but politely. Nodding, Flora grabbed the back of her skirt and and the rope with gloved hands, sliding down as the tower descended.

"Luke, my boy," the Professor called gently. "Hold on tight," Luke whimpered and gripped the fabric of Layton's shirt. He was fading in and out of consciousness now, but he had whimpered when Hershel had said "my boy." Making a mental note to bring it up later, the Professor cradled Luke's head and grabbed the rope, legs curling so that the rope was under his knees. The ropeburn on his hands would sting later, but Luke was top priority. Flora, waiting at the bottom of the quickly piling rope, holding her arms out to grab Luke as they reached her, started running towards Jostwen as soon as Luke was situated in her arms, the Professor close behind.


	2. Mr. Triton also kinda sucks, but more so

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luke doesn't like his father very much, and Hershel tries to help Luke as best as he can- but Flora ends up helping more.

They reached Jostwen a few minutes later, Don Paolo's flying machine whirring behind them, oblivious to their escape. Scrambling into the town medical center, Hershel righted his hat and approached the secretary hastily. After a moment of talking, Luke was rushed into a room- and not a moment too late.  
~*~  
It was 12:28 in the morning when Luke woke up, Flora and Hershel by his side. The room was cream white, a potted plant and a window on one wall and a space heater on another, the hospital bed tucked against a third. Flora quickly pressed a small yellow button on the side of the bed, and a doctor came in a minute later. The doctor came in, but a small crash was heard in the next room, making him flinch. "I'll be right back, Mr. Layton-" his hand gripping against the door, he was interrupted by a yell. His dark fingertips slipped off the door as he closed it gently to help the next patient.

"Luke, my boy? how are you feeling?" Hershel asked gently, sliding his hand off of Luke's warming skin. Luke whimpered with fear, tugging away. Reaching up as he curled in on himself, he tugged at his hair; his hat had been discarded to a hat rack by the door.

"I-I-I don't want to, no, I don't, no, no, I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, I-" Luke's voice went up as he whimpered the same thing over and over, pulling at his hair even harder. Flora gently pulled his hands away and he flinched; but she tucked the pillow into his grabbing hands before they could catch hold of his hair again. Taking advantage of the size of the pillow, Luke tucked it against himself as he shook, mumbling frightened disaffirmations. He began sobbing into the pillow, gripping it hard enough to make his knuckles turn white. His face was hidden as he curled into it.

"...Luke? I-"

"Professor, I'm not sure if you talking to him is the best solution right now," Flora cut in firmly. She glanced at him with an unwavering menace before changing her tone to address the now sobbing boy. "Luke? Luke, it's me, Flora. do you remember me? Luke," she repeated his name gently, as if reminding him of something.

"Fl- Flora? No, no, F- Father doesn't, doesn't let me..." Luke's sobs became breathy as he curled in on himself more. Flora grimaced; that must hurt his leg.

"Luke, you're with the professor, remember? You're Luke, apprentice to the famous Professor Layton, best puzzle solver in London, a gentleman. Isn't that right, Professor? Isn't young Luke a gentleman? Luke the gentleman, who can solve the trickiest of puzzles?" Flora's eyes were demanding as she looked up at Hershel. Looking down again, she noticed Luke beginning to unfurl slightly.

"...Prof- Professor?" Luke said meekly, almost as if asking himself. Peering through thick brown hair and wet eyes, Luke stared at Hershel with a half-hidden expression of hope. He had said it so quietly Hershel almost didn't hear him.

"Yes, Luke. It's me, Hershel. Hershel Layton. With the most gentlemanly apprentice I could imagine, Luke Tri--"  
"Don't say it, Hershel," Flora cut in harshly. "I apologize for my rudeness, but please."

Hershel looked at her questioningly before looking down at Luke again; when he noticed the boy had begun to quietly hyperventilate. Hershel was an archeologist, not a psychiatrist; he didn't know what to do. But as it seemed, Flora did; she had made her way around the bed and sat next to Luke, putting her arms around him and hugging tightly.

"Flora, you're-!"

"I'm not hurting him, Professor," she explained. "It helps him get his breathing back to normal." She squeezed harder, and he stopped his breathing altogether- but only for a moment. Luke began to cling to her like his life depended on it.

"... Luke?"

Luke looked up at him shakily, recognition gleaming in his eyes as he processed Hershel in front of him.  
"Pro- Professor? I-I'm s-sorry I, I said those, uh-uhm..."  
"No, No, it's quite alright. I'm not sure I understand everything, but..." the professor replied hesitantly. Goodness, what in the world had Mr. Triton done to this boy?

"Luke, who can solve the trickiest of puzzles."

**Author's Note:**

> a friend of mine recommended i write this!!! please leave comments if you can or want to, id love to hear how y'all feel about it!!!
> 
> Edit: that same friend revised and edited this chapter and the next one for typos!!! Thank you Luka 💕❣️💓💟💗❣️💓💌💞💙💛💜💘💗💙💓💌💓💙❣️💓💟


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